Chapter 7 Settle
The next morning, at exactly 7:00 AM, Alina stood outside her tiny apartment with her suitcase packed and zipped.
She double-checked her bag, certificates, Id, her favorite books, an old sweater from her mom, and a sealed envelope with a pressed flower inside.
All of it fit into one suitcase.
Her whole life, stuffed into a single bag.
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She had already mailed her landlord about moving out the night before. And now, standing in front of him with keys in hand, she tried to offer a polite smile.
The man didn’t return it.
His face was as cold and rigid as always. He snatched the keys from her fingers without a word, not even a "thank you."
Alina didn’t flinch.
She was used to it by now.
The rent had gone up again last month. And the month before that. By now, it was almost thirty percent more than what she originally signed for. She could barely keep up.
Even if she were rejected from the kindergarten later... she wasn’t coming back here.
"Goodbye," she whispered to no one in particular, placing a hand on the doorframe once more before turning away.